Houston Armadillo Removal, Armadillos digging up yard

Armadillo removal from a home or business is a very common request for many bee removal professionals. In North America, the most common species of Armadillo is the Nine-Banded Armadillo. This type of armadillo can weigh up to 22 pounds, and up to 23 inches in length. Elsewhere around the world, the Giant Armadillo can weigh up to 130 pounds and 4 feet in length! The armadillo is know for it's leathery, armored shell. In fact, it's name in Spanish is "little armored one." This tiny creature is also known to jump, straight into the air, up to 4 feet when frightened.

Facts about Armadillos

Armadillos are know to dig:

Under whole yards

Throughout gardens in search of food

Under a building's foundation

The armadillo is a burrower. It's extra sharp claws allow it to quickly dig under the surface. The armadillo also hunts for it's prey, mainly insects and grubs, underground. And while they are known to demolish gardens, and whole yards, in search for food, they will, at times, be extremly helpful to a farmer or gardener. They hunt out and eat many types of insects and grubs, keeping your garden safe. But, this can often wind out of control, creating bigger and bigger burrows and tunnels, just in search of food and shelter. They often live in a massive burrow, or several burrows together. On average, a burrow can measure a huge 8 inches wide, 7 feet deep, and an astounding 25 feet long! This is precisely why these animals should be removed from a yard.

Armadillos have been known to live up to twenty years, but on average live from five to twelve years. After the 2-3 month mating period, in July to August, a fertilized egg will often not be implanted for up to 4 months, simply to avoid the birth during an unfavorable time. This one egg, over a period of another four months, will split into 4 separate embryos. Surprisingly, the armadillo normally gives birth to four identical pups each time it gives birth! A armadillo will give birth to at least 50 pups within her lifetime, and several of these pups doing the same.

The fast reproduction rate, coupled with the small amount of creatures that prey on the armadillo has allowed them the armadillo population to explode out of control. In the late 1800s, armadillos in America where only found in Florida and states around Mexico. By 2000, armadillos where common in Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Now, a decade later, armadillos are being found in southern Illinois and Indiana. It is rumored that they will continue to spread to the entire east coast, but not too north because of their poor tolerance to the cold.